N. Korea: Nuclear War Could Break Out at ‘Any Moment’

The situation on the Korean Peninsula “has reached a touch-and-go-point and nuclear war may break out at any moment,” North Korean Deputy Ambassador Kim In Ryong told the UN General Assembly’s disarmament committee on Monday.

“The entire US mainland is within our firing range and if the US dares to invade our sacred territory even an inch it will not escape our severe punishment in any part of the globe,” he said, DW reported.

While North Korea routinely exaggerates both the power and range of its nuclear arsenal, the isolated state has performed six nuclear tests since 2006 and its ballistic missiles are believed to be capable of reaching the US territory of Guam.

International efforts by the US, the EU, Russia and Pyongyang’s closest ally China have yielded no progress in halting the country’s nuclear arms program.

Kim In Ryong on Monday said that his country supports “the total elimination of nuclear weapons” globally.

But for as long as the US “constantly threatens and blackmails [Pyongyang] with nuclear weapons,” North Korea cannot disarm, he said, adding that “no country in the world has been subjected to such an extreme and direct nuclear threat from the US for such a long time.”